Lust probably has little do with it. I mean, how could this possibly work? Consciously develop a desire to trick yourself into exercising? I don't think so. Consider sanity instead. It simply makes sense to maintain a healthy body. Therefore it makes sense to spend effort towards that goal. It is connected to the ability to act upon reason.

Discipline and focus are the qualities I work on, the ones that don't come naturally at all!

Whether it is to do with the body and eating habits, I think these are great practice qualities in general and without them practice isn't really going to take off. So even these worldly aims, like losing weight, exercising more, etc can be treated as practice, especially if they are done with a focus on the present, sharpening attention, broadening awareness and persevering in the light of the right view, right intention and right action.

Last edited by Dan74 on Mon May 17, 2010 5:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

The Buddha's first words after enlightenment were these: "Seeking but not finding the house builder, I traveled through the round of countless births. Oh, painful is birth ever and again! House builder you have now been seen. You shall not build the house again. Your rafters have been broken down; your ridge-pole is demolished too. My mind has now attained the unformed nibbana and reached the end of every kind of craving." (Dh. 153-54.)

The Buddha's first words after enlightenment were these: "Seeking but not finding the house builder, I traveled through the round of countless births. Oh, painful is birth ever and again! House builder you have now been seen. You shall not build the house again. Your rafters have been broken down; your ridge-pole is demolished too. My mind has now attained the unformed nibbana and reached the end of every kind of craving." (Dh. 153-54.)

Isn't planning to go to the gym regularly, eating certain types of food regularly, reaching a specic weight, etc. and carrying out these plans just a form of house building?

What's making these plans?

What/who is asking these questions? And why? To build a house (of views)?

The "let's pretend to be enlightened right from the start" approach is just inconsistent and perpetuates samsara.

If you manage to engage in practice without goal setting then fine. But if you can't "just do it" then you need goals.

But there is no need for body cult because eating is just meant to survive and moving exercise is just the same like walking a dog. You walk the dog because the dog obviously needs it and feels better afterwards, compassion.

The charioteer is asking these questions, he wants to know wether he should hook the horses up to the chariot and if he should then he also wants to know which direction he should point the horses in and wether or not he should whip them into action - as far as he can tell things are fine how they are at the moment and their is no pressing need to hook the horses up and go somewhere or make the situation become something else, all reports from the top seem to share this sentiment as well. The charioteer suspects and openly admits that the remnants of past mental formations could be clouding his perceptions and stopping him from making certain realizations.

BTW, I don't see how giving due consideration to the wisdom of the Buddhas perceptions is pretending to be enlightened - if you think he has put into words something that is true are you suposed to ignore it or deny it's validity - what good are teachings if not used as "teachings"?

MayaRefugee wrote:The charioteer is asking these questions, he wants to know wether he should hook the horses up to the chariot and if he should then he also wants to know which direction he should point the horses in and wether or not he should whip them into action - as far as he can tell things are fine how they are at the moment and their is no pressing need to hook the horses up and go somewhere or make the situation become something else, all reports from the top seem to share this sentiment as well. The charioteer suspects and openly admits that the remnants of past mental formations could be clouding his perceptions and stopping him from making certain realizations.

BTW, I don't see how giving due consideration to the wisdom of the Buddhas perceptions is pretending to be enlightened - if you think he has put into words something that is true are you suposed to ignore it or deny it's validity - what good are teachings if not used as "teachings"?

I'm guessing the issue is that you have too much time on your hands and are wondering what to do with it.

Before I was married and had children I also came to a point where I was feeling much as you do, where I had realised that there was nothing worth pursuing out there, nothing that was going to satisfy, but I still wasn't prepared to commit to full time practice either.

Since being married and had children I don't think that feeling has changed but what has changed is that I have no idle time on my hands, I struggle to find time to do all the things I have to do let alone the things I want to do. I have no time to idle away except maybe half an hour a day on dhammawheel and my practice is more oriented towards moment to moment mindfulness rather than formal retreats, I crave my one retreat a year when in the past I could do retreats for months on end.

Anyway, I'm not sure if this is helping but hopefully it may give some perspective.

“Peace is within oneself to be found in the same place as agitation and suffering. It is not found in a forest or on a hilltop, nor is it given by a teacher. Where you experience suffering, you can also find freedom from suffering. Trying to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it.” ― Ajahn Chah

Circumstances being the way they are at the moment I do have a lot of time on my hands - I find I spend most if it daydreaming or mentally rehearsing whatever box needs to be ticked next - not very efficent or productive in the eyes of most but I enjoy it.

The Buddha's first words after enlightenment were these: "Seeking but not finding the house builder, I traveled through the round of countless births. Oh, painful is birth ever and again! House builder you have now been seen. You shall not build the house again. Your rafters have been broken down; your ridge-pole is demolished too. My mind has now attained the unformed nibbana and reached the end of every kind of craving." (Dh. 153-54.)